What's next against ISIL?

Nearly nine months after the start of the offensive against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to retake Mosul after three years, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory and government control of his country's second largest city on July 9. But the city is devastated, thousands of mostly civilians have been killed, and nearly a million people are currently displaced as a result of intense ground fighting and airstrikes.

The Mosul offensive was an outcome of months of preparation and planning among several groups including Iraqi Security Forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni and Shia tribes, as well as the U.S.-led international coalition. Although the successful coordination eventually brought the liberation of Mosul, ISIL still holds on parts of Iraqi territory and most probably maintains its vast network of sleeper cells around the country.

During the Mosul offensive, the U.S.-led coalition has played significant role. Since its establishment in September 2014, it has conducted thousands of airstrikes and trained 70,000-strong local forces to "degrade and ultimately defeat" ISIL. Coalition airstrikes have increased considerably, both in Iraq and Syria, since Donald Trump's assumption as U.S. president. According to Col. Ryan Dillon, the spokesman for the coalition, there are still about 15,000 ISIL militants, 5,000 of whom are in Iraq and about 10,000 in Syria, decreased from 20,000 to 30,000 in September 2014.

Nevertheless, the victory in Mosul is a critical milestone in the fight against ISIL. It was the city where ISIL proclaimed its caliphate-state on June 29, 2014. Even before the Iraqi troops recaptured the city, ISIL militants, to prevent a symbolic victory for the Iraqi army, had blown up the Grand...